The Assassins of Hyrule
by PolishFreelancer115
Summary: Inspired by "Release" by Blizzaga Saga. Link never left Hyrule when going back in time after his battle with Ganondorf. He made a new friend in Castle Town. With neither of them having a real family anymore, they are soon given a home by the mentor of the Hylian Assassins. Years pass and friendship grows, and now that friend has to go and create peace between Hyrule and the Gerudo.
1. TAoH:Ch 1

**The Assassins of Hyrule**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, I do not own Legend of Zelda or Assassin's Creed. Those are owned by Nintendo and Ubisoft respectively.

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Red Stains and Blue Cloth**

Blood covered his blades. Nothing unusual there. He and Link spent at least two hours keeping monsters from entering Kakariko. They might discuss it later on in the barracks. They'll definitely need to run this information with Mentor; the Assassin Brotherhood must know if any dangerous creatures are appearing in two of them then decided to split.

"Link, go ahead back to the barracks and inform Mentor about the attack, I'll go and inform Lord Vance about it and request reinforcements." Kev'n told his friend, almost shuddering at the mention of Vance.

"Be my guest to fall on the sword," Link joked. "Just be prepared for a meeting the princess may call for later tonight."

"I'll see you then." Kev'n replied before lowering his hood. The two of them have grown close enough over the past seven years that they were practically brothers. Link went along a path that led straight to the training grounds, while Kev'n went straight towards Castle Town's upper-class district.

Before reaching the city walls, Kev'n removed his pauldron, and replaced his dual-colored robes with a navy blue jacket, and then donned his pauldron and cape once again. Earlier today, he never imagined that a fat, rich man would be lecturing him. As it was, however, a distended stomach shook up and down in front of him as Vance seethed with anger like a child throwing a fit.

"Sir Kev'n, this is highly inappropriate!" All the contempt for Kev'n which the lord normally hid in front of others with kindly-worded insults was clearly visible on his face; Kev'n had invaded his sanctuary, one of the few places in Castle Town where the royal knight wasn't allowed. For his part, Kev'n was well aware of the numerous breaches in etiquette, but he hadn't wanted to provoke anyone.

"It's an emergency, my lord. The beasts you sent Sir Link and I to slay claim that a larger force will attack Kakariko tomorrow to avenge them." Several of the guests Lord Vance had been entertaining looked horrified by the news, but Vance himself was only further enraged.

"You come barging into my private quarters, hands covered in blood, without permission—in the presence of women, no less—to tell me about something that will happen tomorrow?" he growled out, having trouble controlling his volume.

"Kakariko is at least half a day's ride from here. Since you are in charge of maintaining eastern Hyrule's defense, I—"

"Let me tell you something, peasant." Though Kev'n's blood boiled at being regarded so poorly, after seven years he knew better than to further agitate a noble. He stood at attention and patiently waited for the diatribe to end. "I am gracious enough to tolerate you at our meetings, but you will not under any circumstances intrude on me here! I will deal with this problem later. Now go!"

"But—"

"Now." To not show any signs of aggression, Kev'n curled his toes into fists.

"I shall see you at the meeting, my lord." He said firmly before nodding and leaving. Outside Vance's home, he resisted the urge to take his frustration out on a nearby wall; Kakariko's protection was more important. With that in mind, he made his way toward one of the few nobles in the city who took him seriously. Princess Zelda, as expected, was in her garden, likely enjoying a break from tedious meetings, and contemplating about tonight's.

"Princess," he said breathlessly, still tired from running through town with his urgent message.

"Sir Kev'n!" She looked up in surprise, but her cool exterior was up the next moment. "What happened to you?"

"Pardon me your highness. If there is blood, it's not mine."

"There is none, but I would like to know the urgency of this visit."

"Moblins are attacking Kakariko tomorrow." He informed her, tired of the delays. Instantly Zelda was more on edge.

"Did you inform Lord Vance?"

"Yes your highness, he brushed me off."

"I see. Thank you for your haste, hero. I will make sure he dispatches soldiers there immediately." He was relieved at her icy tone. It was good to know he wasn't the only one who couldn't stand that man sometimes. Zelda could be as stuffy and underhanded as anyone, but she still cared more about Hyrule's safety than the wounded pride of one of her advisers. "In the meantime, please rest. There is an important subject that will be discussed tonight."

He did a slight bow before heading towards the barracks in Castle Town. Kev'n had at least an hour before the meeting, and made his way towards the bathing rooms.

First removing his his standard issued Hylian shield, his bow, then his quiver and sheaths, which hold his arrows, broadsword, and Biggoron sword respectively. He removed his jacket, as well as his pauldron with a navy blue cape attached to it. Looking at his dual-colored robes, Kev'n was surprised at the lack of bloodstains on it. He then removed the chainmail shirt he had on top of his thin black tunic, removing that as well.

Kev'n then removed his gauntlets, checking that the blades being safely locked up with a small deadbolt knob. He then removed his belt with his knife and potion pouch attached. He then moved onto removing his boots, pants, and undergarments.

After locking away his equipment in a wooden locker, Kev'n pressed a water pump up and down multiple times to get water, and pulled a lever to release the water upon his short, blonde hair. Washing himself quickly, Kev'n then dried himself off, dressed in his clothes and armor, once again donning his navy blue jacket, soon covered with his pauldron and cape. He took only his knightly sword, broadsword, shield, and pouches of medicine, locking away his remaining weapons for the time being.

Meetings. Everything, every decision, always had to be formalized. Kev'n forced down the urge to barge through the door and demand why soldiers had not already left. Sadly, his aggression would only make everything worse. He always had to rely on the princess to convince anyone of anything.

It didn't matter now, though, because he and she were sitting at the round table, along with Link (who was in his usual green tunic, chainmail, and cap), Mentor, or as other nobles knew him, Regol Axort, Lord Vance, and a few other nobles.

"Loyal vassals to Hyrule," Princess Zelda began as usual, "before we begin with our scheduled business, something urgent has come up. Sir Kev'n has informed me that a horde of moblins plan to attack Kakariko Village tomorrow. I expect you, Lord Vance, as head of defense in that area, to respond immediately."

"Yes, your highness." He said something to a young man attending him, and the boy left. "My messenger is on his way to tell the soldiers under my command to prepare for departure. I will speak with them in greater detail after this meeting has concluded."

"Thank you, my lord," she responded evenly. Kev'n and Link both hated the two-faced man. Though he was certainly glad the lord listened to Zelda, he was growing increasingly frustrated at how little anyone listened to either of the knights.

"For our next order of business, we must decide our next step in improving relations with the neighboring kingdoms. I have met with each of you individuals," she said acknowledging each of the nobles, "and we are all in agreement to form an alliance with the Gerudo, even though they gave birth to the demon who tried to take over Hyrule seven years ago. Thus we must send an envoy to them soon. They have already been informed ahead of time that someone will be sent to them. This situation is too delicate to send an ordinary messenger. Someone from this table must make the journey."

The council fell silent, and Kev'n knew none of the stuck up, physically weaker men were eager to go somewhere as harsh as the Gerudo Desert. For some reason, he gave it some thought. It would give him time away from the council, and he desperately needed to clear his head.

"If it pleases your highness, I volunteer to go to the Gerudo tribe as an ambassador."

"I'm not sure that would be wise, Sir Kev'n," Zelda informed him, frowning slightly. "You have many valuable skills, but you are also the least experienced person here in terms of diplomacy. Perhaps it would be better if someone else went."

"Begging your pardon, your highness, but perhaps Kev'n is more suited to the task than you might realize. Like the Gerudo, he has a propensity toward… simpler ways of living." Kev'n held is anger down as Vance continued. "And as a fellow warrior, he may be more likely to earn their respect and trust than anyone else."

"Wait," Link interrupted. "Kev'n, are you sure you want to do this? I can go in case of anything."

"No," Kev'n replied. "You are one of our greatest warriors, I trust that you will be able to keep our kingdom safe without my help."

"You make a convincing argument, Lord Vance. Very well. Sir Kev'n, you are to leave at dawn tomorrow."

"Very well, I shall take the proposed treaty to the leader of the Gerudo, and return with their response." Kev'n finished.

"You shall take this document, set with possible policies that their queen would agree on. Once this is taken care of, please return as soon as possible, and we shall vote on their proposed treaty. Once we come to a conclusion, you shall take it back to the tribe, and address to them our conclusion." Kev'n nodded his head, taking the document from Zelda's messenger.

He didn't pay much attention to the rest of the meeting. After the meeting, Mentor Axort stopped him and Link, pulling them to the side. With Axort overseeing the military district in Hyrule, no one questioned why the tall noble would be talking to knights alone.

"Kev'n, my student, do stay calm when traveling. The Brotherhood has a few members in the Gerudo tribe." Axort claimed.

"Thank you, Mentor" Kev'n said, bringing one hand over a fist raised at his own chest, bowing his head.

"Link, I will make sure some _members_ will be sent to Kakariko. Tomorrow, you may join them if you wish, stay in the barracks and train with other soldiers, or take the day off and spend time with that rancher friend of yours." Axort concluded with a smirk under his salt-and-pepper mustache and beard.

"Uh, thank you, Mentor." Link said, trying to hide his blush about that last comment.

"And Kev'n, I don't think I need to remind you that the Gerudo are seductively dangerous, and some may escalate a misunderstanding into a crime against the tribe. So please, be on your best behavior. And be careful, as well as some people here, some Gerudo may not be in favor of peace between our people."

"I am two steps ahead of you Mentor, but thank you for your wisdom." Kev'n said, doing his bow again. Axort placed a hand on each of their shoulders.

"I know both of you shall do well. It looked like it was a tiring battle. Go on and rest, my sons." Sons. That's how he saw them. Not soldiers; not students. Sons. Him addressing them this way always reminds Kev'n of two great days in recent years: the day he and Link became best friends, and the day Regol picked them off the streets and offered them a life in the Order of the Assassin Brotherhood.

They both bowed their heads turned around, and left towards the barracks to make preparations. They made their way up to the top of the castle walls, sitting on a few supply crates while observing the sun starting to set. Link turned and asked.

"Are you sure you don't want me to go? I have had experience there before." This was true. In an alternate timeline, Link was unable to warn the king in time about Ganondorf, resulting in him and his quest to eventually go into the Gerudo Valley, where he learned more about the locals and their culture. It wasn't until later where he defeated Ganon and sent back in time to prevent his rule from happening.

"I'm sure, your stories of the other times will be enough to keep me safe," Kev'n answered. "Besides, Hyrule needs its best warrior here to defend the people."

"Kev'n that's not-" Link started.

"Yes, it's true and you know it. You're better in overall fighting with weapons and monster expert. I'm just the strategic crime fighter who just happens to be more handsome." Kev'n joked.

He wasn't wrong. When he wasn't fighting, training, or relaxing, Kev'n patrolled the streets on rooftops in his dual-colored cloak. Due to their training, the two of them were built like runners. He would stop the occasional mugger, or track down a robbery under his hood. He made it himself, The outside was white, worn during the day to blend with the white walls across the city. Past sunset, however, he would turn it inside out, revealing the black portion of his robes, and using shadows to their highest potential.

Whenever he had these robes on, he was no longer Sir Kev'n, for he gained two new titles in the eyes of Hyrule. During the day, he would be known as the Ghost, and during the night, he was a third individual, the Shadow.

"Besides, Regol is always keeping an eye on Miri and Gilad, they'll be in good hands, I mean, look how we turned out." Link then chuckled at his friend's remark. "And I have one, final reason for why I want you to stay," Kev'n told Link. Link replied by thinking of all possible reasons why he should be the one staying.

"Go grow a pair and spend some time with Malon, just as Mentor offered." Kev'n told him with smirk.

"What do you mea-"

"Come on man, I've seen how the two of you looked at each other for the past seven years. Just go to Lon Lon Ranch tomorrow, offer some help to speed some work along, then offer to take her to dinner in Castle Town, in fact, here." Kev'n then reached into his bag and pulled out a purple rupee.

"No, don-"

"Here,"

"No"

"Just tak-"

"Thank you, but I'll do it myself!" Link said with a raised and annoyed voice.

"Soooo, you are going to ask her out?" Kev'n asked with a cheeky grin.

"Huh. Yes, Kev'n, I'll going to ask Malon out on a date."

"Haha. Finally!" Kev'n yelled from the top of the wall, but quiet enough to not draw attention from the other guards.

"Dude, quiet down, please. You know how much the other guys will mess with me if they found." Link pleaded whipping his head left and right to see if any of the others heard.

"Alright, alright, I'll stay quiet, just tell me how it went when I get back." Kev'n said, having a short chuckle exit his mouth. "I'll go and check up on the kids and pack for the trip. I'll send you a letter in case I run into any trouble." Kev'n said, getting up off of his crate.

"Just make sure you come back in one piece." Link told him, extending his arm out to his best friend. Kev'n gladly took his hand, giving it a firm shake, then the both of them tried to squeeze each other's knuckles, a running joke for the past few years. With them leaving it at that, Kev'n went down towards the lower-class district in Castle Town. The sun was almost down when he reached a small inn, with a few rooms, each big enough to hold a small family. He unlocked one of the rooms, only to get tackled by a nine year-old girl and a seven year-old boy.

"Kev'n!" He heard from the two children as they each reached for his legs. He crouched down and squeezed them in his arms. Miri, the older sister, had her short brown hair messed up and unbrushed, her small brown eyes filled with joy. Gilad's own brown mop of hair had a few wet clumps for some reason and his eyes matched his sister's in both color and excitement.

"I came by to check on the three of you. By the way, where's-" Kev'n was interrupted by a puppy's bark. A white and tan cavachon came running around the corner, and began jumping up on Kev'n's knees.

"Ezio, look who's back? That's right. I'm back." Kev'n stated in a loving voice, crouching down to rub Ezio's back and scratch behind his ears. Ezio flailed around and rolled on his back to get a belly scratch. Kev'n looked back at the two kids who saw him as an older brother. "Did you two do your studies today?"

"Yes." They said in unison.

"Everything?" Kev'n pushed.

"Yes." they repeated.

"Alright then. For the next week or so, Lord Axort will be looking after you guys while I will be gone on a mission."

"What is it? Gilad asked.

"I'm not sure if I can tell you right now, maybe when I get back. I'll be back soon. Now off to to bed the both of you, it's getting late." Kev'n told them.

"Awww" the siblings said, and went to change into their sleepwear, eventually climbing into bed.

"Kev'n, can you please play a song so we can go to sleep?" Gilad asked with big pleading eyes.

"Alright." Kev'n reached into his magic bag, and pulled out his guitar. First checking if his instrument was in tune, he began to play to his foster siblings. Tune after tune, their eyes began to close, being lulled to sleep.

 _*Insert link to theme of The Last of Us*_

When they finally fell asleep, Ezio walked up and curled up by the siblings' bed. Kev'n then slid his guitar back into his bag and left for the barracks, locking the door behind him, and took to the streets of the town.

* * *

 **Yes, this is a rewrite. I'm sorry but looking back there were some big things that I wanted to fix. The story is not forgotten, but classes, my job and The Witcher 3 are always taking most of my time. Hope you guys like the improvements. For the life of me I have no idea why I included the prequel quote the first time. I was sober when both brainstorming and publishing the chapter, so** **I have no excuse.**

 **Don't worry, there is a lot more to come. The next update will come sooner than later.**

 **Kev'n's lullaby song: (slash)** **watch?v=Y97u-U0nvJM**


	2. TAoH:Ch 2

**The Assassins of Hyrule**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, I do not own Legend of Zelda or Assassin's Creed. Those are owned by Nintendo and Ubisoft respectively.

* * *

 **Chapter 2: A Hood Amongst the Tribe**

Chapter 2: A Hood Amongst the Tribe

Waking up at what many soldiers called, the "asscrack" of dawn, Kev'n began his day by shaving off what facial hair was growing already on his face. As an experiment, he wanted to see how much will grow while he was gone on his mission.

He then donned his blue jacket, with a navy blue tunic, chainmail, and pauldron, and taking all of his weapons and supplies he had the previous day. He also packed a two week supply of dry food, two water skins, a spare pair of pants, his dual robe from the other day, one set of sleepwear, a few pairs of underwear, and four other tunics, including a Zora and Goron tunic.

Kev'n double checked to see if all his bag was packed and secure. He jogged towards the castle walls, the cool air tickling his face. As he hurried to the stables, he reached into one of his pouches on his belt, and removed a blue potion. A small sip of it filled his stomach in place of a proper breakfast. On his long trips away from the castle to deal with monsters or Templar scouting, Kev'n and Link discovered a way to feed themselves in a way to not waste time finding and preparing real food. The blue viscous concoction oozed slowly and torturously down his throat like a squirming ChuChu, and he forced down the urge to gag, knowing it was best to get used to this before leaving.

Once he reached the stables, he showed the guard there his orders, allowing him access to the stables. From there he found his horse, Blackjack, blending in with the darkness and waiting to bolt outside. He fastened his bag and travel supplies to the horse's saddle and started to head towards the main gate. Once the path was officially clear, the two bolted to the desert.

After riding for a few hours of across the empty Hyrule Field, Kev'n felt only a little liberated from his troubles. He was growing worried about Kakariko, not about the soldiers defending the town, but about Lord Vance. The suspected Templar only cared for himself and his colleagues. Kev'n was always wishing to find a damn strong piece of evidence of his misdeeds, that would throw that corrupt noble into prison, have him executed, or even excuse Kev'n of plunging his blade into his fat chest.

Upon realizing what he just thought of, Kev'n immediately shook the vengeful thoughts from his head. He knew he had to be patient, to not be fueled by anger. In due time, Vance will pay for that tragic day.

Lucky for him there were many people besides fellow soldiers who were thankful for the deeds he has done. Many citizens, from shop owners to fisherman, were grateful for him. Well, him and his hidden identities, the Ghost and Shadow. Many citizens were thankful for his interference with local crime in the kingdom, while some were understandably scared of him. Few nobles like Vance were worried about this vigilante, believing that he was undermining the kingdom's authority. Some in the Brotherhood some suspected that some nobles hired local thieves to steal from the citizens, and return to them with their gains. Corrupt bastards.

Deciding to change the topic in his head, he started to wonder if Link was following through with his instructions, if he went to talk to Malon.

 _'They're great for each other. Malon was nice, sweet, and she had her eye on Link for quite some time now._ _were Link needed a girl like her.'_ That made Kev'n think about his own romantic life. Sure there were some girls in the Order who were interesting. Most however just flirted and teased the other Assassins for their own entertainment, and Kev'n has been on the receiving end at least once. Sighing, he pulled Blackjack's reigns and led him to a small stream.

"Drink up, boy, this is the last stream we'll see before we get to the desert." Of course, he didn't need his encouragement, and he watched him lap greedily from the creek. When he lifted his head back up, he decided not to get back onto him right away and lightly brushed him with his fingers. "Do you think there is more for me to do with my life, besides being an Assassin?" Predictably, he did not answer, but he did not need him to. Kev'n removed his pauldron, switching his jacket for his robes. With the sun fully out, the white should help against any extra heat. He placed his pauldron back on his left shoulder, his cape partially covering his left arm. Kev'n chugged down the rest of his water from one of his skins, refilling it once it began to run dry. He washed his face in the stream before remounting Blackjack and leaving.

 ***Link POV***

Link headed out of the castle grounds on Epona, heading directly towards Lon Lon Ranch. He started to think about Malon, would she accept his feelings? Would she even agree to join him for dinner? Would she even let him help out? Link started to get nervous, but because of Epona's speed, he didn't have to dwell on it for very long.

He ended up at the entrance in less than 10 minutes. Epona then slowed down, trotting up towards the open field in the ranch. Link then saw the beautiful redhead. Malon had her usual attire on. A white blouse with a yellow handkerchief tied loosely around her neck, the knot resting in the front. She also had on a long, dark pink skirt, with a small brown apron hanging from her waist.

He shook his head to snap out of his stare. He noticed Malon was running a little back and forth. He then realized she was chasing around cuccos, and the pen was broken. Dismounting from Epona, Link jogged over to her, vaulting over the low fence.

"Malon," he called out, she stopped and looked up, finally noticing the knight.

"Link," She jogged over in his direction. "It's so nice to see you, you kind of caught me at a bad time.

"Actually I have the day off, so I came over to offer my assistance." Link replied.

"Well, isn't that nice of you, Fairy Boy. Since you're here, could you catch the cuccos while I hold the pen closed."

"As you wish, my lady." Malon giggled at his strict knight impression. Link then spent the next twenty minutes gathering the cuccos, while Malon held the pen closed. "By the way, where is your father? Link asked as he carried the last cucco over to the pen.

"He's in Castle Town selling milk. The pen broke a while after he left. Here, hold the pen closed while I grab the tools." Link reached down to keep the pen closed as Malon moved to grab some tools. After a few minutes of work, Link got up from the now-fixed pen.

"What else can I help you with?" Link asked.

"Well, the day was going to be taken up by me moving the bales of hay onto the cart by the entrance. But now now that you are here..." Malon trailed off when glancing at his muscled arms.

"It will go by faster?" Link finished her sentence. Malon then snapped out of her own trance.

"Huh, oh, yeah." Malon said trying to hide her blush. With that being said, Link and Malon then spent an hour moving the bales, which would have taken longer if not for Link. Once they were done, Link took a deep breath.

"Malon, uh, I need to ask you something."

"What is it Link?" Malon questioned, unsure of what to expect.

 _'Spill it! You have the Triforce of Courage for Nayru sake!'_ He yelled internally. "Wou-" Link coughed and cleared his throat, "Would you be interested in joining me for dinner in Castle Town?"

"Did you just ask me out on a date, Fairy Boy?" Malon asked back.

"Uhhh" Link uttered, not knowing how to respond. Malon giggled.

"That sounds like a great idea, pick me up before sundown?"

"Uh, yeah. Yes. Yes, I shall pick you up then. I have a reservation setup." Link informed her. He wasn't lying. As of this morning, he set up a reservation just in case before the ride over.

"One more thing, how should I dress?" Malon almost forgot to ask.

"Uh... semi-formal." Link answered.

"Thanks, see you tonight Fairy Boy." Malon teased as she walked back towards her home. Once inside Link mounted Epona and rode back to the barracks to prepare. Once he was far enough away from the ranch, Link threw his head up towards the sky and shouted.

"WOOOOHOOOO!" _'Thanks for the tips Kev'n.'_ He definitely had to tell Kev'n about this when he returned from the desert.

 ***Kev'n POV***

He long passed the canyon bridge almost three hours ago. The howling of passing winds did little to take Kev'n's mind from his troubles. However a familiar chorus soon reached his Hylian ears: grunts, weapons colliding, and deep-throated gargles of pain urged him to speed up. Though a moment ago he thought he would be relieved by this, the knowledge that someone other than him was being attacked horrified him, and spurring Blackjack into action, he galloped across the last stretch before Gerudo Valley, forcing his cape to billow in the wind.

Blackjack kicked up dust from the bare earth as he ran, but Kev'n had no trouble seeing the struggle ahead. Four women, Gerudo, fought their way through a group of monsters, and Kev'n realized that Kakariko wasn't the only place the moblins were targeting. The Gerudo were heavily outnumbered, and one was on the ground, Kev'n wasted no time.

He drew his bow with an arrow immediately notched. His first arrow hit a creature in the back of the neck, the one closest to the downed Gerudo. A quick glance was spared his way, the female warriors paid him little mind and used the distraction to cut their way through the aggressors. Scimitars clashed with spears. He notched two more arrows at once, resulting in two more fallen beasts at the back of the flank. But there were too many, and the moblins were closing in on them too quickly. If he wanted to save them, he needed his boots on the ground with them.

As soon as Blackjack got closer, he tucked his bow through his quiver, readied himself and jumped off his horse. His two blades sprang from his wrists, plunging into two monster skulls, tackling the moblins to the dirt. Jumping off the ground, Kev'n pulled off his shield and unsheathed his broadsword. He made a cut clean through an arm and leg with a yell of fury.

 _'Got to be quick. I can't let anyone here die. No one else can get hurt!'_ Brushing aside an incoming spear with his shield, he lashed out with his sword arm again, he unshackled the raging demon within that he normally held back against people. His energy quickly ignited throughout his body like a forest fire.

Block. Jab. Roll. Stab. Slash. Shield Bash. Somersault. Slice. Kev'n's mind went instinctual. Heads rolled. Spears snapped. He was everywhere. Blood stained his sword and the ground, and soon a mess of bodies was all that remained of the threat. As he calmed down, Kev'n and the three conscious fighters stared at each other awkwardly for a moment. One of them was at least ten, maybe fifteen years older than him, but the others were much younger than Hyrule's knights, and he wondered why they were here instead of someone more experienced; they couldn't have been any older than him.

The adrenaline wore off, and he struck his blade into the sand, and hung his shield by the strap on the cross guard, and approached the fallen one with a bottle, only to be stopped by the eldest.

"What are you doing?" she asked harshly. "Who are you? We were waiting for an ambassador from your kingdom. Are you his messenger?"

"No madam, I am the ambassador. Here, this potion will heal her."

"You aren't dressed as a diplomat," she accused. "You arrived just after those things did. How do I know you are not somehow involved? For that matter, how do we know that's potion and not poison? Your royal family has never been fond of our kind." He resisted the urge to remind her that he just saved their asses. He took a deep breath and spoke.

"This is not the princess's design. I brewed it with a shop owner. If it doesn't work, feel free to hold me accountable. I'll even take a swig myself if you want." He spoke calmly and firmly, and held the bottle out to her. "Pour what's left of it over her wounds." Not hesitating despite her apparent suspicions, she snatched it forcefully from his hands before following his instructions.

"…Oni?" Judging from how startled they were when he turned his eyes to them, the other two women obviously did not expect him to hear them whispering to each other, and they stopped. Kev'n said nothing, though he wondered what the word meant. He was sure he'd heard that name before, but for the moment it escaped him. He was far more worried about why moblin activity had been so high lately. Dead eyes stared at him from the ground, and he couldn't help thinking of the other dead eyes that would have stared at him had he arrived any later.

"Amena, can you hear me?" the middle-aged one asked, and the girl in her arms groaned as her eyes opened before looking around in confusion.

"Yes, Samiyah." Letting her stand on her own, the apparent leader, Samiyah, faced him again.

"Thank you," she forced herself to say, though there was no gratitude in her voice. After rising to her feet, Amena glared at the cloaked newcomer. Her eyes bore though his skull and out his hood, but Samiyah spoke before she could get a word in. "You three go ahead and let our sisters know our guest has arrived, Amena," she ordered, apparently not needing to turn around to see her subordinate's anger. Amena and the two others obeyed.

"She has a limp," Kev'n observed as he picked up his shield and started cleaning his sword with a small rag.

"She will be fine."

"Even so, once we arrive I can give her more medicine if you'd like." Kev'n sheathed his broadsword. He could not tell if her expression was a glare or another look of suspicion.

"We would appreciate that. What is your name?" Samiyah asked.

No _"May I have the pleasure of knowing your name"_ or _"Honored to make your acquaintance"_. Despite her obvious hostility, he allowed himself a friendly smile at the absence of pointless pleasantries. He removed his hood, letting it fall on his back.

"Kev'n," he answered, following it up with him bowing his head with a fist tucked into his hand. She seemed not to take offense at his short response.

"Let's catch up to the others." She eyed Blackjack as he began leading him by the reins while adjusting his bow. "Your horse is very brave. It did not abandon you during the fight."

"He's the best." Blackjack snorted. "Hey, hey, we're almost there, just a little bit more, alright?" Blackjack once again replied with a snort. With his back turned towards the lady, Kev'n locked his blades back up. No need to cause an accident that could jeopardize the treaty.

The others were nowhere in sight. He was curious as to how quickly they must have disappeared. _'Almost as if the were trained as Assassins.'_ They made their way under what appeared to be the outer gate. Soon the fortress was visible in the distance, looking much like Link described it in his stories. Apparently Link had to sneak in to keep from getting caught, but now Kev'n had the chance to look at it for himself.

His escort remained stiff and silent, but as more people came into view he noticed that everyone seemed to be looking at him. Each red-haired woman stopped whatever she was doing and stared at the stranger when he walked within sight of her. He also saw quite a few children standing among them, ranging from kids as old as Miri, and as young as two years old.

"Don't worry about them."

"The attention is just a bit unnerving," he admitted.

"It will take them a day or two to get used to you. There hasn't been a man here in our village since…"

"Ganondorf?" She shook her head.

"That was seven years ago. And aside from him, most of the Gerudo have never seen a man, besides the occasional traveler. For many of us, this is going to be strange."

It looked like it would be strange for him too. But he wouldn't let a little awkwardness get in the way of enjoying himself. For Kev'n, he always got along better with fighters rather than nobles. A few friendly spars sounded like a great idea, provided the Gerudo were friendly enough to allow an outsider to participate in their training. His guide, though far from polite, did not seem to resent him for coming to their home, and he hoped the others were the same way. A young woman perhaps about his age approached him with nervous excitement. From what he could see was that her smile was as bright as the sun and her green eyes sparkled like rupees.

"Hello,"

"Oh, uh, hello." he was caught off-guard by the politeness in her voice. Blackjack turned towards her and nuzzled his head against her shoulder, "Oh, sorry about him, You seem to already get on his good side." Kev'n joked. Letting out a small giggle, the girl started petting Blackjack's muzzle, then girl turned to Kev'n and asked a surprising question.

"Are you a prince?" Caught off-guard again, he stuttered.

"Uh... n-no. I-I'm just a diplomat from Hyrule."

"You don't look like a diplomat. Diplomats are weak. You're obviously look strong, so you must have some important position. If not a prince, are you the king?" His guide stopped and turned towards the girl.

"Givura, that's enough," Samiyah interrupted harshly. "He already told you what he is. Let's not make our relations with the Hylians any worse than they already are." Her eyes widened and she squeaked out an apology, running away immediately.

"No, wait, it's... alright" Kev'n finished too late. She seemed nice: open and honest, unlike all the conniving and empty talk he was used to hearing in the court. And it was nice to be acknowledged for his strength for once. He had definitely made the right decision coming here.

But he could not ignore the whispers. Turning to Samiyah, he was reminded that the Gerudo did not have pointed ears, and since they were likely as ignorant of Hylians as Hylians were ignorant of them, they probably didn't know that his pointed ears gave him better hearing than theirs. Again the word "Oni" drifted to him over the wind, this time whispered by multiple people, and he pretended to focus only on the path ahead.

Kev'n's instincts were never wrong. They had saved him countless time, and presently he sensed that something was not as it should have been. He didn't know whether that was good or bad, but he kept his guard up. He had to be ready, no matter what happened.

* * *

 **Hope you guys enjoy the re-edited story so far. I plan to adjust the course a little of how things are built up, as well as some minor dialogue and grammar alterations. Any positive criticism is appreciated.**


	3. TAoH:Ch 3

**The Assassins of Hyrule**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, I do not own Legend of Zelda or Assassin's Creed. Those are owned by Nintendo and Ubisoft respectively.

* * *

 **Chapter 3: The Contact**

He suddenly felt the harshness of the sun on his pale face. Even the covered parts of his body suffered, for as his pants started to stick to his thighs. He understood the reason for the oversized pants the Gerudo wore.

"Desert too hot for you?" Samiyah asked callously without turning to him. Despite being a decade his senior, she had no difficulty traversing her home terrain, and her red outfit was bold and strong. "You should take your gloves off."

"No thank you." His fingerless gloves were a part of his gauntlets, and he had no desire to remove his blades. He wasn't sure if any of the fighters noticed them during the fight.

"If you insist. Still, you are dressed quite strangely." Her tone was not kind, Kev'n simply bit his tongue to remain silent rather than to snap back. He noticed that the bright top revealed her stomach and shoulders and made her breasts jut out from her brown skin, though he knew that this was acceptable and likely tradition in the desert.

Inevitably but ever so slowly, the Gerudo Fortress ceased shimmering in the distance through the waves of heat rising from the sand. The two unharmed soldiers from earlier waited for them when they at last arrived. Unlike Samiyah, they wore purple, which he guessed meant they ranked below her.

"These two will be your personal escorts for the duration of your visit."

Wordlessly he removed the bag tied to Blackjack's saddle. The horse let his head drop as though breathing out a sigh of relief.

"Your horse may stay in the stables for the duration of your stay, though there may not be many supplies for him." Samiyah addressed.

"Thank you." Kev'n said nodding his head. He returned to his steed. "Blackjack, you'll be getting some rest. Behave yourself, alright?" The horse didn't respond, but didn't protest when a woman in white led him towards the stables.

The other two women, still kept strong eyes on him, now with his head and face exposed. Kev'n quickly grew tired of hearing the familiar name and not having a face to match it to, he turned on them.

"Who is Oni?" he asked, noticing their eyes widen to know that he was able to hear them earlier. The one who spoke glanced briefly at her commander as though asking what she should do.

"Well, he's…someone we know, and you seem to closely resemble him. Not just your face, but uh, all of you."

"And your tunic under your robe, it's blue like his." the other added. Samiyah glared at them.

"He is not Oni. His name is Kev'n, and we don't need you two spreading ridiculous rumors. The stares from others are already intimidating him."

Observing their reluctance to offer answers, Kev'n lifted his bag and was ready to go inside; but beneath the calm façade his mind worked furiously to recall anyone who looked enough like him to cause this identity crisis.

 _'No one from our batch of Assassins, maybe an older one that's not around now. Or, maybe from... home?'_

Nestled in a corner of the Gerudo Valley, the fortress of sandstone hid against the valley walls from the wind and sun, and he welcomed the shade. Before he could relax, however, Samiyah appeared alarmingly close as though to search him.

"You said you can make another potion for Amena?"

"I have some more in my bag." She then her eyes narrowed.

"Swordsman, archer, equestrian, and healer… why would Hyrule send such a capable person to a group of people they've wanted nothing to do with for seven years? Scouting for an invasion, perhaps?" As he had been taught during his schooling as a knight, the knight kept a level head.

"Though her highness wishes to improve relations with you, most of her servants are spoiled and soft and thus reluctant to enter your... rough domain. As an experienced traveler and warrior, I am more suited to the task."

"Are there any other skills you possess?"

"I've practiced a little in stealth." He understated. Stealth, fighting and magic were the few skills that were taught in the Order. "And I know very few spells, though they won't be as effective in the desert and I hope I won't have to use them."

"You have no reason to fear us." Samiyah said, her voice grazing suspicion.

"It's not that. Moblins have been attacking various parts of Hyrule recently. I never imagined they would attack Gerudo as well. For creatures as cowardly as they are to spread themselves that thin across the land, they must be confident in whatever they have planned. It... it worries me." She eyed him carefully.

"Thank you for telling me your suspicions, and of your skill in sneaking. We will need to keep a close eye on you, you understand, but informing us of your abilities will go a long way in earning our trust." At the end of a maze of twists and turns, they arrived at a large room. Kev'n was trying to recall the way back in case things got dicey. Bright torches, the source of the dim light that spilled into the hallways, lined the walls surrounding a bed that was easily big enough to hold three people.

"You will sleep in the king's chambers." Kev'n froze, replaying the words in his head to make sure he'd heard correctly.

"What?"

"It has been vacant for some time. Since we have no king now, feel free to use it as a guest room. As long as you are here, you will have all the privileges he had. If you like, you may rest here for now and I will have servants prepare a meal for you."

Kev'n suddenly felt nauseous. This was the room where his friend's most dangerous enemy grew up. The others didn't seem to notice, but a dark magical imprint stained the bedchambers. It reeked of hatred, and he could almost hear the wizard's evil laughter.

"I appreciate the effort it must have taken to prepare this, but I'm here to better understand your people's needs. Don't give me any luxuries you wouldn't give the others here." While this was still a trip to him, he would have worn his heat-resistant red tunic had he wanted to live luxuriously during his stay. Samiyah scoffed at this.

"If we did that, you would not survive your stay here."

"I understand your concern, but I'll be fine. And…" Kev'n was no fool. After spending so much time studying politics, he knew when people had an ulterior motive. "I know you're only keeping me here because it's the best place to keep an eye on me, but Ganondorf's lingering presence makes me uncomfortable. He… frightened me once when I was young." It wasn't exactly a lie, he was there when Ganondorf rode in on a black horse into Castle one other time came close to frightening Kev'n in his life. "You have my consent to have as many guards as you'd like watch me. I will not mind."

"Very well. I will double the number of guards around you, and in exchange you can sleep in another empty room. Is this acceptable?"

"Yes. Thank you for your understanding."

"I will have two more guards accompany you."

She sent one of her subordinates away, and soon Amena and Givura joined the two other guards whose names he still didn't know. Amena took some time to get a good look at him, now that his hood was removed. Not trusting his words, he nodded to her, but she huffed and turned away from him, raising her rather large nose into the air.

"Come on… " Givura gently pleaded with her. "He's done nothing to you."

"Shut up, Givura! When last I checked, you were not a real soldier, nor did you even have a mother!" Givura recoiled and looked to the ground in shame. Kev'n noticed she did not wear purple like the other guards, but a plain white, which he assumed meant she was the lowest class of Gerudo. His foot clenched, and while he was forbidden from chastising or insulting anyone here, he knew of another way to irritate proud people.

"How is your leg?" he asked kindly. Amena briskly marched toward him until they were almost touching, wounded leg moving just as proficiently as the other. Slightly shorter than he, she glared up at him, unaware that he wasn't easily frightened.

"I don't need your help," she all but hissed, and deciding his job was done, he said nothing more on the matter.

But something was amiss: there was extra noise in the hallway, the sound of rushing air, light footsteps even; Givura's widening eyes darted to something behind him. While pivoting, he dropped to a knee and raised his arm. A curved knife at the end of a long pole swooped at him, but with practiced ease he caught the pole with the gauntlet on his left wrist and, in the same motion, grabbed the pole and pulled it from his attacker's grasp.

All was still for a moment. The woman in front of Kev'n looked mildly impressed, but Samiyah and her soldiers made no effort to mask their astonishment.

"Shall I draw my sword?" he greeted emotionlessly, already resting an open palm on his broadsword sword. "Or is this how you usually welcome people?" Kev'n knew that if he fought, the others would fight on behalf of his attacker, and there was no way he could defeat six Gerudo warriors, escape maybe, but not win. But at this time the tribe was starting to test his patience.

Like Samiyah, the new arrival wore red, but her appearance was considerably more elaborate. A yellow jewel decorated her forehead, complimented by the makeup above her eyes, the type of makeup women in Castle Town put on when they wanted something. A bigger gem decorated her ponytail. According to Link, one of the sages in the alternative timeline also had one. What was her name again? Natirie? Gelburoo?

"Nailah and Yumn, our local gossips," She pointed to the guards, who grinned back sheepishly. "told me that you rescued my sisters. I thought I might test your combat skills."

"Polearm not your favorite weapon?"

"Correct. Long ago we used these to fight on horseback, but since we were forbidden from leaving Hyrule, we have lost the resources necessary for breeding studs of horses. Now only few remain. I sometimes try to remind myself of the stories my mother used to tell. My weapons of choice are twin scimitars. Samiyah, if you would hand me yours."

"Your Highness, are you sure—"

"Quite sure," she purred.

"Wait, you are the queen of the tribe?" Kev'n asked nervously. She nodded. He got down to one knee and bowing his head. "Queen of the Gerudo, it is an honor and a privilege to be in your presence." She let out a small laugh.

"A pleasure to meet you as well. Now, raise your weapons ambassador," He was a little confused, but he obliged, and raised his broadsword sword with his right hand and a Hylian shield with his left. "I want to see what you can do." In the dim light with the eye shadow, she attempted to give off an air of either amusement or seduction.

Without instruction the others backed away from the duel. Once they were safely out of the way he rushed forward shield first and batted her right scimitar aside, but she blocked his sword with her left. In an attempt to keep his momentum and force her to retreat, he shoved with his shield again, but she was ready when he stabbed at her. Lifting her curved blades upward in an x-formation, she caught his strike and threw it upward, and he knew from training that next she would slide the scimitars down the length of his sword to attack his hands.

But one of Kev'n's greatest assets in battle was his footwork. He was built like a long distance runner, and knew that in battle, you had be as quick as you were smart. Even as he pressed forward, he was ready to spring back at any moment, so when he saw her strike coming he reversed his direction and backflipped away. Unfortunately she wasted no time taking advantage of the shift in momentum and pursued him, instantly reversing the power dynamic. Kev'n brought his shield up in time, but her actions were almost too fluid to follow. Every sword strike was a setup for the next as her body and blades curved with deadly grace, and it was all he could do just to defend himself. He began to push forward with the shield up in front and his sword held defensively at his side. As all her strikes glanced off his equipment, she leapt back lowered both swords.

"That cannot be your weapon of choice either." He grinned as he caught his breath, wondering exactly when he stopped being frustrated and started having fun.

"No. I'm used to fighting multiple enemies like with the moblins earlier. This style is good for that, but for one-on-one fights I prefer a two-handed sword."

"But you have one yourself, why not use it?"

"The hallway and the others would make using it dangerous." Kev'n answered.

"Very well, we shall have to fight again when we are both at our best, and in the best environment. But today you have been a fierce warrior." She emphasized the word "fierce" with an odd inflection, and he wondered if it was supposed to mean something to him. She turned to the others. "I wish to speak with him alone. Yumn, Nailah, you may put out the torches and remove the food from the large room since our guest will not be staying there." Every other woman left, and Kev'n wondered how even Samiyah seemed to fear her. As if sensing his curiosity about her, the queen sauntered over to him, and he swallowed nervously at having his personal space invaded once more.

"Do not let Amena dishearten you. She is merely upset because she was rescued by a man; she thinks she has lost her honor and prowess. She cannot hate you, for though she will never admit it, she is attracted to power… as am I. I must say you are different from what I expected when Samiyah told me a noble was coming here. You seem to be so much more." She looked over him with an approving glint in her eye.

Kev'n was used to being weighed and measured based on his appearance—at the castle, people almost always found fault with his attire no matter how he tried to look like he belonged there—but to be judged so overtly was unsettling. Now that the battle was over, Kev'n was aware of things that weren't directly related to his survival: things like how close she was at the moment, how much thinner than Samiyah's her delicate face was, the unbearable amount of smooth skin he could see above her gold-laced belt, and how long her beautiful hair was, an attribute presumably reserved for Gerudo royalty. Kev'n cursed his inexperience with the opposite sex besides some of the other Assassins back home, briefly before realizing that all the experience in the world couldn't help him here: the Gerudo were in a league far above other women, they were far less subtle about attraction.

"I heard your conversation earlier. If you want to live like a Gerudo while you're here, you should fetch water with the women in white. We will start negotiations tonight."

"Thank you," he replied quickly and bowing his head, eager for a distraction from the sexual tension.

"And one more thing." He froze as she closed the distance between them even more. The light brown skin on her slim belly shone with a thin layer of sweat, and her chest seemed more pronounced than before, almost touching his like she was arching her back to show off. It moved up and down as she too caught her breath. Was she… flirting with him?

 _'Focus!' his brain yelled at himself._

"To hold your own against me for as long as you did is no mean feat. I used to think that most men, besides the great Ganondorf, were useless, but now that I've seen you, I don't think so anymore." His eyes widened at the familiar words.

 _'Didn't she say something like that to Link in the other timeline?'_

"When next we fight, I will judge your performance, and if I deem you worthy I will give you a Gerudo Membership Card. With that you could come back whenever you wanted. Wouldn't that be wonderful?" she asked, trailing a finger down his chest. He nodded dumbly. "I'm sure we have many uses for someone like you, so be sure to try your best. I am Aveil, and from what I see from you, is that we share a common set of words." Kev'n gave her a confused look before she leaned to his ear and whispered a phrase he was not expecting. "Nothing is true. Everything is permitted." He stood there in surprise. "I hope to see the rest of the Order someday."

It took him a moment to realize she had left, but he didn't immediately follow. He just found one of Axort's contacts. While processing this, the hushed whispers of the soldiers in Ganondorf's room reached his long ears.

"So which do you think he is?"

"It would be amazing if he was Oni, but it will be up to Aveil to decide tonight at the treaty talks. If he is the other man as our reports seem to indicate, I hope we're not the ones tasked with throwing him in the dungeon."

"Or executing him."

"Yeah. He seems like a nice guy."

* * *

 **Hey guys, yes, the story is getting a rewrite. Hope you are enjoying the story so far. Let me know in the comments, or just if you have general thoughts or feedback that you want to share.**


End file.
